1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a help display forming device which displays the explanation of terminologies and its operating method or the like on a display. This occurs when the operating method and so on are unknown to the user of a computer such as a word processor or a personal computer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, in large-scale computers, various error conditions are displayed by messages on a display when errors occur. In a word processor or the like, it is common that, when a specific key is depressed, a help mode is displayed. The help mode displays an explanation of how to correct errors that have occured.
For example, in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. SHO61(1986)-234426, there is disclosed a circuit for a business machine comprising a central processing unit, a first memory for storing operation programs of the central processing unit, a second memory for storing help messages and a help key. When the help key is depressed, this interrupts the control program and initiates the display of particular help messages which correspond to the particular conditions in that phase of the control program from the second memory which are then displayed on the screen.
In the aforesaid Publication, a function which indicates terminologies responsive to various functions included in the business machine at the request of the user is not disclosed.
In Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. SHO62(1987)-49528, a help guide system is shown in which the guide explanation and help explanation are displayed at the user's request, including the explanation of technical expressions or terminologies such as "tab", "indent", "rule", etc., which may not be familiar to the user can be displayed when the user designates them.
In the aforesaid system, only the explanation of the terminology in the guide or help explanation is included, but explanation of certain other terminologies can not be indicated independently.
Furthermore, in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. SHO61(1986)-223923, an information processing apparatus is disclosed which comprises an analytical functions component for analyzing the sequence or history of input operation or error information, a help information retrieval function component for retrieving help information of a command corresponding to the analyzed result obtained by the analytical function component, and a necessary item extract function component for extracting and displaying only the necessary item corresponding to the analyzed result among the help information retrieved by the help information retrieve function component, and displays help information including the command, directions for use, etc., when the command input operation in any way is hindered or error information is generated by a particular command.
In the aforesaid apparatus, however, the help information displayed is only for the error which occurs at command input, but those for the error responsive to the operational error of input devices such as a keyboard are not indicated.
The present invention has been devised in view of the above described problem. One object thereof to provide a help display forming device capable of explaining to the user simply and quickly on demand, unknown points about the operation of the system when specific operational errors occur.